North First, Then South

"If that's the case, then where are the other nine stone tablets?"

Back at Eisen's place, Frieren, Fern, and Lorenzo sat around a table.

Flamme's notes lay open in the center of the table.

All the maps and ancient documents that could be found nearby were moved over and piled up into a small mountain next to the table.

There were even a few books placed under the table legs. Eisen's table seemed to be many years old; it would wobble uncontrollably if you didn't put something under it.

"What I can confirm is that there is a stone tablet that seems to be near the Kino Pass in the Northern Plateau."

Eisen, who was maintaining his weapon, spoke up to them.

"I know that area too; we saw it on our way to defeat the Demon King."

Frieren nodded.

"But even including this one, we've only found two so far."

Fern looked troubled. She naturally hoped to collect all ten stone tablets so that she could revive Lord Heiter, and perhaps even her own parents.

"I should have asked Heiter. As something left behind by the Goddess, people in their Church should know more about it."

Just as Frieren was complaining about her lack of foresight, Lorenzo finally realized why the stone tablet looked so familiar.

"It seems there's a similar stone tablet in the forest where I met Frieren."

Lorenzo remembered it vividly; after all, it was the only thing he had seen that resembled human activity during that period.

If it weren't for that stone tablet, he would have even wondered if he had traveled back to some primitive era, where dinosaurs might have appeared.

"If you put it that way, I do seem to recall something like that."

Frieren thought for a moment and then said to Lorenzo, as if she were recalling something else along with that memory.

"And I remember seeing a similar stone tablet in the memories of that Windwing Dragon before, on a snow-capped mountain."

That's great. That means we've identified four stone tablets, and we're almost halfway there.

"Can you be sure which snow-capped mountain it is?"

Lorenzo dragged the map in front of him.

"No, there's nothing particularly remarkable about the terrain nearby except for snow and mountains. We can only roughly determine that the location is in the Northern Plateau."

Frieren shook her head and said to Lorenzo.

On the plateau that occupies a large area of northern China, there are crisscrossing mountain ranges, and countless peaks are covered with snow all year round. Trying to find a specific snow mountain from such a vague memory is probably no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.

"However, before that, the Windwing Dragon seemed to have encountered people Kleis and Levi, but we don't know who they are."

Frieren recalls a memory that isn't her own.

Kleis Levi? Lorenzo seemed completely bewildered.

"Eisen, have you heard of him?"

Frieren looked toward the corner of the room.

"No."

Eisen's answer was very brief, and he didn't stop sharpening his knife.

"Could they be from a nearby village or town?"

"Fern asked."

"Possibly."

Every human being leaves traces of their existence. Once you reach the Northern Plateau, you can ask around at nearby adventurer guilds, villages, or Churches.

"In any case, let's head north for now."

Frieren gave the final decision.

They had just arrived from a more southern region. If they turned back now for the stone tablet in the forest, they would eventually have to cross most of the continent again to reach the Northern Plateau after completing their investigation.

Moreover, two of the three identified stone tablets are located in the north, so the north-to-south approach is more reasonable no matter how you look at it.

"The Northern Plateau has been quite turbulent lately."

Eisen suddenly said.

"Since Himmel's death, some Demons who had been hiding for a long time have gradually emerged. The remnants of the Demon King's Army have even started causing trouble on the border of the 'Empire,' and there are even rumors that Aura, one of the 'Seven Sages of Destruction,' has become active again."

"Has the empire become this weak? I remember during the Demon King's Army era, they were the only country in the north that hadn't been conquered."

Frieren was somewhat surprised when she heard the news.

Who knows?

Eisen didn't seem to care much about it.

"I haven't been to the north for many years, and I only heard this news from merchants and adventurers passing through the area."

The two didn't mention Aura at all, seemingly not taking it to heart at all. As members of the "Seven Sages of Destruction," they really lost face.

"However..."

Eisen seemed to suddenly remember something, and his hands stopped moving.

"If you really need a soldier, I do have other candidates to recommend."

"Who?"

"My disciple."

You actually have disciples?

Frieren looked somewhat surprised.

She had known Eisen for quite some time, but he had never mentioned having taken on an apprentice. However, given his personality, even if someone were learning from him every day, he probably wouldn't bring it up to others.

"If you have it, why can't I?"

Eisen glanced at Frieren and continued.

"He was a young human named Stark. Although he was timid and always thought of running away when faced with danger, he didn't have much of the typical warrior's personality..."

"That sounds completely unreliable."

Fern couldn't help but comment.

"He is indeed not very reliable, but cowardice and weakness are not the same thing. He is very talented and powerful."

Knowing fear means understanding how dangerous the enemy is, and it also means having the instinct to survive.

After all, a true warrior is not someone who is unafraid of fear, but someone who is willing to stand in front of others even when their legs are trembling.

Eisen paused for a moment.

"So strong that sometimes even I feel scared."

After those words were spoken, even Frieren became serious.

Throughout the ten-year journey to defeat the Demon King, Eisen always stood at the forefront of the team. Even when faced with attacks that would have killed an ordinary warrior on the spot, he was able to withstand them with his dwarf body.

The fact that this young man named Stark could frighten him suggests that he is indeed no ordinary person.

Where is he now?

I left here a few years ago due to some issues.

Eisen turned to look east of the forest.

"However, I heard that someone saw him in a village on the east side of the Brete Region."

"If you really need soldiers, go look there."